Nova WILD!
Nova Award
for
Cub Scouts

The requirements shown below became effective
on June 1, 2015. when the rank requirements
for Cub Scouts changed
and may be used only until December 31, 2017.

Cub Scouts who were working on the Nova awards
or one of the Supernova awards prior to December 31, 2015, had two options:

Complete the award no later than December 31,
2015, using the original requirements
as published in the original Cub Scout Nova Awards Guidebook (No. 34032
/ SKU 614935)
or
Complete the award using the requirements shown below.

Cub Scouts working on the Nova awards
or one of the Supernova awards in 2017 have two options:

Complete the award no later than December 31,
2017, using the requirements shown below
or
Complete the award using the current requirements.

This module is designed to help you learn about wildlife
and the natural world around you.

Choose A or B or C and complete ALL the requirements.

Watch an episode or episodes (about one hour total) of a show about
wildlife, endangered species, invasive species, food chains, biodiversity,
ecosystems, or wildlife habitats. Then do the following:

Make a list of at least two questions or ideas from what you
watched.

Discuss two of the questions or ideas with your counselor.

Some examples include - but are not limited to - shows
found on PBS ("NOVA"), Discovery Channel, Science Channel,
National Geographic Channel, TED Talks (online videos),
and the History Channel. You may choose to watch a live
performance or movie at a planetarium or science museum
instead of watching a media production. You may watch online
productions with your counselor's approval and under your
parent's supervision.

Books on many topics may be found at your local library.
Examples of magazines include but are not limited to
Odyssey, KIDS DISCOVER, National Geographic Kids, Highlights,
and OWL or owlkids.com.

Do a combination of reading and watching (about one hour total)
about wildlife, endangered species, invasive species, food chains, biodiversity,
ecosystems, or wildlife habitats. Then do the following:

Make a list of at least two questions or ideas from what you
read and watched.

Discuss two of the questions or ideas with your counselor.

Complete ONE adventure from the following list. (Choose one that you
have not already earned.)
Discuss with your counselor what kind of science, technology, engineering,
or math was used in the adventure.

Wolf Cub Scouts

Bear Cub Scouts

Webelos Scouts

Digging in the Past

A Bear Goes Fishing

Into the Wild

Grow Something

Critter Care

Into the Woods

Spirit of the Water

Critter Care

Explore:

What is wildlife? Wildlife refers to animals that are not normally
domesticated (raised by humans).

Explain the relationships among producer, prey, predator, and food
chain. (You may draw and label a food chain to help you answer this
question.)

Draw (or find) pictures of your favorite native plant, native reptile
or fish, native bird, and native mammal that live in an ecosystem near
you. Why do you like these? How do they fit into the ecosystem?

Discuss what you have learned with your counselor.

Act like a naturalist. Choose TWO from A or B or C or D or E or F, and
complete ALL the requirements for those options.

Investigate the endangered species in your state.

Make a list, drawing, or photo collection of three to five animals
and plants that are endangered.

Design a display (a poster, PowerPoint presentation, or other
type of display) to show at least 10 of the threatened, endangered,
or extinct species in your state. (You may use your drawings or
photo collection in your display.)

Discuss with your counselor the differences between threatened,
endangered, and extinct species. Discuss how threatened animals
or plants could become endangered or extinct. How might the loss
of these animals or plants affect the ecosystem and food chain?
What can be done to preserve these species?

Investigate invasive species.

Make a list, drawing, or photo collection of at least five mammals,
plants, fish, birds, insects, or any other organisms that are invasive
in your state or region of the country.

Design a presentation (a poster, PowerPoint presentation, or
other display) including at least one of the invasive species from
your list. Explain where they came from, how they got to your area,
what damage they are causing, and what is being done to get rid
of them. Share your presentation with your counselor and your family
or your den.

Discuss with your counselor what an invasive species is, how
invasive animals or plants cause problems for native species, and
how these invasive species could affect an ecosystem and food chain.

Visit an ecosystem near where you live.

Investigate the types of animals and plants that live in that
ecosystem.

Draw a food web of the animals and plants that live in this
ecosystem. Mark the herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores. Include
at least one decomposer or scavenger.

Discuss with your counselor (using your food web drawing) how
the animals or plants in the food web fit into a food chain. Which
animals are predators and which can be prey? How does each plant
and animal obtain its energy? Describe the energy source for all
the plants and animals.

Investigate one wild mammal, bird, fish, or reptile that lives near
you.

Create a diorama representing the habitat of this creature.
Include representations of everything it needs to survive; its home,
nest, or den; and possible threats. You may use a variety of different
materials within your diorama (usually constructed in a shoebox
or similar container).

Explain to your counselor what your animal must have in its
habitat in order to survive.

Investigate your wild neighbors.

Make a bird feeder and set it up in a place where you may observe
visitors. The feeder could be complex or as simple as a pinecone
covered with peanut butter and rolled in birdseed and then tied
with a string to an appropriate location, like a tree branch.

Fill the feeder with birdseed. (Make sure that your feeder does
not remain empty once you have started feeding birds.)

Provide a source of water.

Watch and record the visitors to your feeder for two or three
weeks. (It may take a while for visitors to discover your food source.)

Identify your visitors using a field guide, and keep a list
of what visits your feeder. (Visitors are not always birds! Sometimes
deer, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and raccoons visit bird feeders—or
the area under the feeder! The kinds of nonbird visitors will depend
on where you live. You may want to investigate how to collect the
tracks of any nighttime visitors.)

Discuss with your counselor what you learned about your wild
neighbors.

Earn the Cub Scout Outdoor Ethics Awareness Award OR the Cub Scout
World Conservation Award (if you have not already earned them for another
Nova award).

Visit a place where you can observe wildlife. Examples include parks
(national, state, and local), zoos, wetlands, nature preserves, and national
forests.

During or after your visit, talk to someone about:

The native species, invasive species, and endangered or threatened
species that live there. If you visit a zoo, talk to someone about
the ecosystems for different zoo animals and whether any of the
zoo animals are invasive in different areas of the world. (For example,
pythons are often found in zoos, but they are an invasive species
in Florida.)

The subjects studied in school that enable him or her to work
with wildlife. Examples of experts to talk to include forest ranger,
wildlife biologist, botanist, park ranger, naturalist, game warden,
zookeeper, docent, or another adult whose career involves wildlife.

Discuss with your counselor what you learned during your visit.

Discuss with your counselor:

Why wildlife is important

Why biodiversity is important

The problems with invasive species and habitat destruction

The requirements for and further information about
this award may be found in the current edition of the
Cub Scout Nova Awards Guidebook (BSA Publication No. 34032)

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